Page 197 - DENG502_PROSE

Unit 19: David Hume-of Essay Writing: Introduction and Detailed Study

perishing; and where they proceed not from some cause in the character and disposition of the Notes
person who performed them, they can neither redound to his honour, if good; nor infamy, if evil
This argument has inspired modern day commentators. However, it has been argued that the

issue of whether or not we hold one another morally responsible does not ultimately depend on
the truth or falsity of a metaphysical thesis such as determinism, for our so holding one another is
a non-rational human sentiment that is not predicated on such theses. For this influential argument,
which is still made in a Humean vein, see P. F. Strawson’s essay, Freedom and Resentment.
19.3 Problem of Miracles

In his discussion of miracles in An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding (Section 10) Hume
defines a miracle as “a transgression of a law of nature by a particular volition of the Deity, or by
the interposition of some invisible agent”. Given that Hume argues that it is impossible to deduce
the existence of a Deity from the existence of the world (for he says that causes cannot be determined
from effects), miracles (including prophecy) are the only possible support he would conceivably
allow for theistic religions.
Hume discusses everyday belief as often resulted from probability, where we believe an event that
has occurred most often as being most likely, but that we also subtract the weighting of the less
common event from that of the more common event. In the context of miracles, this means that a
miraculous event should be labelled a miracle only where it would be even more unbelievable (by
principles of probability) for it not to be. Hume mostly discusses miracles as testimony, of which
he writes that when a person reports a miraculous event we [need to] balance our belief in their
veracity against our belief that such events do not occur. Following this rule, only where it is
considered, as a result of experience, less likely that the testimony is false than that a miracle occur
should we believe in miracles.
Although Hume leaves open the possibility for miracles to occur and be reported, he offers various
arguments against this ever having happened in history:
• People often lie, and they have good reasons to lie about miracles occurring either because
they believe they are doing so for the benefit of their religion or because of the fame that
results.
• People by nature enjoy relating miracles they have heard without caring for their veracity
and thus miracles are easily transmitted even where false.
• Hume notes that miracles seem to occur mostly in “ignorant” and “barbarous” nations and
times, and the reason they don’t occur in the “civilized” societies is such societies aren’t
awed by what they know to be natural events.
• The miracles of each religion argue against all other religions and their miracles, and so even
if a proportion of all reported miracles across the world fit Hume’s requirement for belief,
the miracles of each religion make the other less likely.
Despite all this Hume observes that belief in miracles is popular, and that “The gazing populace
receive greedily, without examination, whatever soothes superstition and promotes wonder”.
Critics have argued that Hume’s position assumes the character of miracles and natural laws prior
to any specific examination of miracle claims, and thus it amounts to a subtle form of begging the
question. They have also noted that it requires an appeal to inductive inference, as none have
observed every part of nature or examined every possible miracle claim (e.g., those yet future to
the observer), which in Hume’s philosophy was especially problematic.
Hume’s main argument concerning miracles is the following. Miracles by definition are singular
events that differ from the established Laws of Nature. The Laws of Nature are codified as a result
of past experiences. Therefore a miracle is a violation of all prior experience. However the probability
that something has occurred in contradiction of all past experience should always be judged to be

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 191